The American Religious Identification Survey published its results this week. (Touchstone Magazine has a good summary piece as well, with excellent summary analysis. Be sure and read it.) It seems that Hispanic that are moving to our country are the only thing that keep American Catholicism from completely going under. In the Northeast where Catholicism has been so strong – it’s now in in rapid decline.
Protestants are in a free fall. Evangelicals are moving to non-denominational megachurches and away from mainlines and traditional evangelicalism. Non-denominational, highly Charismatic flavored evangelicalism is on the way to domination.
While out and out atheists are still a small sliver of the population, those calling themselves non-religious are growing rapidly. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet in that category. America remains a nation that says it is over 70% Christian, but Christianity as a percentage of the population is shrinking in every category except for Hispanics.
Baptists (who have long been the largest protestant group) are coasting into decline, with growth far behind the total population. And there is a big generational “horizon” coming with the aging of baby boomers. Most churches in this country are under 75 in attendance and have no younger younger generation.
The need for us to be to pray for the “at least 60,000” unchurched people in our area has never been greater. The need for you and I to live out our faith in a way that is salt to our community that makes them thirsty for Jesus has never been more needed. As more and more of our neighbors choose to live in the darkness of life separated from God we must let our light shine so they can see our Father. We must give our all to reach more unconnected people and together grow to full devotion. This is our time.
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